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Best Zoo and Museum Summer Camps in NYC

The Queens Zoo offers zoo summer camps for kids ranging in age from 18 months up to 13 years covering a variety of wild themes. Photo courtesy of WCS
The Queens Zoo offers zoo summer camps for kids ranging in age from 18 months up to 13 years covering a variety of wild themes. Photo courtesy of WCS
4/10/23 - By Drew Kristofik

When the time comes to book summer camps in NYC, parents sometimes overlook NYC's museums, zoos, and the New York Aquarium, but these culturally rich organizations offer an incredible selection of summer camps.

Some popular summer camps at NYC museums sell out in the blink of an eye, but we're including them here so they're on your radar for next year and beyond, including summer camp at the American Museum of Natural History and The Met.

No matter your child's interest, we've got tons of options in our New York City Summer Camp Guide, including picks for great creative and performing arts summer camps in NYC and cool STEM summer day camps. You can find more great camp programs in our camp directory where you can search by interest, age, or borough from Brooklyn and the Bronx to Manhattan, Staten Island, and Queens.

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Camp History lets tweens get up close with archival material at the New-York Historical Society. Photo courtesy of the camp
Camp History lets tweens get up close with archival material at the New-York Historical Society. Photo courtesy of the camp

Best Museum Summer Camps in NYC

Camp History

Upper West Side
Ages 9-12
Campers at the New-York Historical Society's week-long Camp History learn all about New York City's past and the creation of the systems we interact with every day but might never have noticed before. Kids in grades 4-6 participate in hands-on activities, get up close and personal with archival materials, meet living history reenactors, and create a "Then and Now" photo journal of New York City to commemorate everything learned throughout the week. READ MORE

Museum of the Moving Image - Summer Media Camp

Astoria, Queens
Ages 9-13
Summer Media Camp at the Museum of the Moving Image invites kids to create original movies, animated films, and video games, which will then be featured as part of a special showcase at the museum. All levels of experience are welcome. Week-long summer camp sessions include costume design, video puppetry, animation, game design, filmmaking, and more. READ MORE

Brooklyn Museum Summer Camp

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Ages 8-13
The Brooklyn Museum offers campers a chance to experience a variety of mediums, including photography, sculpture, mixed media, drawing, painting, animation, and more. Kids explore the museum's collection, try out new techniques, and share their creations during Open Studio time on Fridays. READ MORE

Staten Island Children's Museum Summer Camp

Snug Harbor, Staten Island
Ages 5-9
The summer camp program at the Staten Island Children's Museum provides great flexibility, with full- and half-day programs available in 3-day or 5-day options. Weekly themes include STEM, carnival, superheroes, plants, and more. READ MORE

Art Adventures Summer Camp at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Upper East Side and Washington Heights
Ages 5-12
Jump into a weeklong art adventure with The Met. From painting and sculpture to mixed media and more, participants explore, experiment, play, and create their own masterpieces with teaching artists. All art materials are included. READ MORE

Transformations: Museum of Mathematics Summer Camp

Flatiron
Ages 6-14
Whether your camper is already passionate about mathematics or just starting to explore its wonders, MoMath's Transformations summer camp provides access to cool areas of mathematics not covered in school and stokes the flames for a lifelong appreciation of mathematics. Weekly themes range from music in math to computers, nature, and gaming. READ MORE

Summer Camp at the Queens Museum

Flushing, Queens
Ages 7-11
For three weeks in July, aspiring artists can sign up for the Queens Museum Summer Camp program, which includes art-making workshops, fun-themed games, and art-inspired activities. Each week offers a different theme and art activities. Campers can register for one or more weeks, with discounted registration rates for multiple weeks. READ MORE

Adventures in Science Summer Camps at the American Museum of Natural History

Upper West Side
Ages 7-10
AMNH's popular summer camp programs offer week-long immersive experiences for learners who are entering grades 2 through 5, led by expert Museum educators who specialize in guiding children through engaging, hands-on science experiences. Campers explore museum halls and exhibits, meet museum scientists and researchers, and get close looks at museum collections and live animals. Sliding scale tuition is offered. READ MORE

All-Access Maker Camp

Midtown West
Ages 8-14
The Intrepid Museum's All-Access Maker Camp is geared specifically toward kids ages 8-14 with developmental differences, including autism. All-Access Maker Camp provides opportunities for campers to practice social-emotional skills, including problem-solving, communication, and collaboration. Campers try out design challenges related to the ship, aircraft, and space, and go behind the scenes to meet with experts.  READ MORE
Go under the sea with a marine-themed summer camp at the New York Aquarium. Photo courtesy of WCS
Go under the sea with a marine-themed summer camp at the New York Aquarium. Photo courtesy of WCS

Top Aquarium and Zoo Summer Camps in NYC

Bronx Zoo Summer Camp

Bronx Park, the Bronx
Ages 2-14
The Bronx Zoo summer camp invites campers to explore the 265-acre zoo and learn about animals and nature. Campers are engaged all week with fun activities, exhibit explorations and animal encounters. A parent-child option for preschoolers ages 2-4 is also available. READ MORE

Central Park Zoo Summer Camp

Upper East Side
Ages 2-14
Summer camp at the Central Park Zoo gives city kids an opportunity to see animals up close, explore zoo exhibits, have fun, and make new friends. Weekly themes are usually game-oriented (Zoomazing Race!), and incorporate conservation concepts as well. READ MORE

Summer Camp at the New York Aquarium

Coney Island, Brooklyn
Ages 4-13
Add an underwater adventure to your kid's summer schedule. New York Aquarium campers gain an understanding of ocean life through play and exploration, with plenty of marine life meet-and-greets. READ MORE

Summer Camp at Prospect Park Zoo

Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Ages 4-13
Prospect Park Zoo's summer camp themes include Zooperheroes and Wild Detectives, and kids get a week-long immersion into the wonderful world of wildlife. READ MORE

Queens Zoo Summer Camp

Flushing, Queens
Ages 18 months-13 years
The Queens Zoo offers summer camp programs for kids as young as 18 months (with an accompanying adult) up through 8th grade, with sessions that concentrate on evolution, eco-systems, and bird of prey, among other animal-centric themes. READ MORE

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About the Author

Drew Kristofik

Drew Kristofik's early career editing teen magazines somehow morphed into a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a very long sojourn at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick online and then Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com local. She was a founding member of the WebbyAward winning GoCityKids, has written for Family Fun Magazine, Vanity Fair, and New York, and her novel for middle schoolers, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. She strives to keep the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar packed and accurate, and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.
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